Northern Cape Premier Zamani Saul says the province is ready for the COVID-19 peak which is expected from mid-August. Saul was speaking at Kuruman on Tuesday where he received medical equipment at a value of just over R100 million from various mining companies operating around Kuruman.
The province’s rate of infections surged in few weeks and currently stands at 820 after being stable for a longer period at the beginning of lockdown.
The Northern Cape has the lowest COVID-19 infections and deaths cases in the country. The province currently has only six deaths.
The province’s infection rate has seen a rapid surge in recent weeks, putting a strain on the province’s health facilities.
Premier Saul says the donations that the province has been receiving from the private sector and from the mines will help the department to ready itself for the peak.
Saul has raised concern over the sudden surge in recent weeks and he attributes it to the easing of lockdown regulations.
“Easing of lockdown regulations has got a direct impact on the levels of transmissions. There’s a clear correlation. It’s a global phenomenon. You open up, you are going to sit with the increased levels of transmissions. So, we are also at that, you know. We are at Level 3 and we are expected to be at that increased level of transmissions.”
In the video below, Zamani Saul says the Northern Cape is ready for lockdown Level 3.
The mines, which include South 32, Assmang and Hotazel, are amongst those who contributed to the donation.
The mines’ representative Boitumelo Seboko says this was to heed the president’s call for all to come to the party in the fight against the pandemic. Seboko says the donation will beef up the capacity within the health sector.
“The donation, which is in the region of just over a R100 million, will go to COVID-19 response in support of the Department of Health. It will address issues around capacitation, quarantine and isolation facilities in hospitals around the John Taolo District.”
Saul has welcomed the donation.
“The contribution that is done by the mines and private businesses in the Northern Cape really strengthens our capacity as a provincial government to ensure that by the time we hit the peak, at least we have the capacity to respond and absorb it.”
The province has also reallocated over R500 000 million of its budget towards the health and the education departments to beef up efforts of the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.
